Dispensing apparatus



J. N. M CAULEY DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 29, 1924 2 ShecLs-Shee1 1 2 Shawls-Sheet 2 J W MCCAULEY DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Fab. 29. 19M

Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

"JOHN W; MGCAULEY, OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, TO W. S. ROBERSON, ONE-FOURTH T 1). S. LO'NG, AND

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH ONE-FOURTH TO B. C. AN-

DREWS, ALL OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA.

DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 29, 1924.

To all 20710712- z't may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W McCAnLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chapel Hill, in the county of Orange and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined measuring and dispensing apparatus and is designed more especially for use in dispensing lard and similar products.

Because of their lower cost lard and sim ilar products areusually sold in bulk from large containers, it being the practice generally to remove the material from the containers with paddles. The contents of the containers are frequently exposed to insects and the method of handling is generally unsanitary.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means whereby it becomes unnecessary to handle the material at any time prior to its delivery into the container intended for the customer, the means for dis pensing the material being also utilized for measuring it. i I

A further object is to provide apparatus of this'character in which the original con tainer can be placed and from which the predetermined quantities can be removed.

A still further object is to provide combined dispensing andmeasuring apparatus which serves to protect the contents .of the bulk container at all times from. insects, dust, etc.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is; a front elevation of the apparatus, the base portion being shown in section, thesection being taken. on theiline 1-1 Fig. 2.

Serial No. 696,020.

F 2 is acentral vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus. 7

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 1.

F t is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 2.

F 5 is an enlarged section through the feed gear and adjacent parts.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a housing constituting the base of the machine, this housing being provided with a movable door 2 constituting one wall thereof. The top 3 of the housing is formed with a circular opening et in which is secured the upper cylindrical end 5 of a hopper 6. The lower end of the hopper has a depending circular flange 7 to which is secured av frame 8 extending from the hopper toward the door 2. This frame has opposed guide tlanges 9 preferably channeled so as to be engaged by opposed edges of a cut-off plate 10. This cut-ofli plate is normally positioned under and in contact with the flange '7 so as to close the bottom of the hopper 6. One end of the cut-off plate may he provided with a handle 11 whereby the plate can be easily pulled to open position or pushed back to closed position. A continuous shoulder or abutment 12 projects inwardly from the wall of the hopper below the upper end of the wall and constitutes a support for the open lower end of a bulk container C. j

' Parallel guide cleats 13 are secured upon the top 3 of the base, the opening -t being located between these cleats. Opposed standards 1st extend upwardly from the top 3 and overlap the cleats, the lower inner sides of the standards being cut away or notched as shown at 15. These standards are connected at their upper ends by a cross bar 16 and bracing rods 17 are extended over the end portions of the cross bar and diverge downward ly, their lower ends being fastened to the top 3 of the base.

Mounted upon the cleats 13 and within the notches is a slide 18 having an opening 19 of the same diameter as the internal diameter of the upper end of the circular portion 5 of hopper ti. Thus the container 0 can be inserted downwardly into the opening 1.9.. Opposed su 'iporting strips 20 are mounted in guides 21 on the bottom of slide 18 and are engaged by springs 22 which bearing plates 24 between which is mounted thehub 250i a feed gear 26. This gear is supported by a bracket 27 extending laterally from one of the standards 14: and is mounted for rotation on ascrew threaded stem 28 slidable within the cross bar 16. The lowerend of this stem is fixedly connected to a plunger 29 adapted to work within-acontainer C and having its lower face preferably concaved as shown at 30. Suitable packing indicated generally at 31 may be secured to the plunger so as to have a wiping contact with the inner surface of the container C in which the plunger works. A'shat't 32 is journaled in one of the standards It and is provided at one end with a" gear 33 constantly meshing with gear26. The other end of the shaft has a crank arm as or the lilrewvliereby the shaft can be rotated readily.

' The measuring strip or gage plate 35 is secured to the'cross bar 16 and extends upwardly'along lines parallel with the stem 2-8. This plate may be graduated to indicate pounds and fractions thereof or other units of measure and a longitudinal slot 36 is formed in the graduated strip. A finger 37 is extended laterally from the upper end or the stem 28 and is adapted to slide Within slot 36, this finger carrying an index or pointer 38 cooperating with the scale or graduatio'ns on strip When-it is desired to use this apparatus the "cut-off plate 10 is moved to close position as shown in Fig. 2. The plunger 29 is elevated to its highest position by rotatmg gear 26 so as to cause the stem 28 tomove upwardly and bring finger 37 into the upper end portion of slot 36. The slide 1'8 is then pulled forwardly so that the opening '19 -will be located where a container C can be inserted downwardly into it without difiic'ulty. Before the container C isplaced in position the bottom thereof is removed. The container is then inserted downwardly into opening 19 with its wall resting on the slide 20. Slide 18 is then pushed back'to its normal position with opening -19qreg1stering with the upper end of the hopper. The slides 20 are next with- 3 drawn from the container and said container allowed togravitate into the upper portion of the hopper where it will rest on the shoulder or abutment 12. The top of the container is then removed and the contents of the container will be free to gravitate into the hopper 6.

i Gear 26 is now rotated and this will cause the plunger 29 to move downwardly into in the base 1 directly under the outlet of the hopper 5. The cut-oil plate 10 is then pulled outwardly from under the. hopper after which the plunger 29 is moved downwardly by rotating the gears. This movement is continued until the pointer 36 has moved downwardly a suflicicnt distance to indicate by means of the :uljaccntgraduations that the desired amount of material has been expelled. The cut-oil? plate 10 is then thrust back to closed position, thereby cutting through the material being ejected.

It will be apparent, from the foregoing, that the bulk material can be dispensed as desired and that handling of the material is eliminated completely. Furthermore the contents of the container are protected at all times from dust, insects, etc.

As shown particularly in Fig. 3 the movement of the slide 18 can be limited by stops 39 coming against the brace rods 17.

What is claimed is z 1. In apparatus of the class described the combination with a hopper having an outlet and a cut-off normally closing the outlet, said hopper constituting a container receiver, of a container receiving slide movably supported adjacent the hopper, said slide being shiftable to bring a container into po sition for insertion into the hopper, a plunger, and means for actuating the plunger to enter a container and project its contents into the hopper.

2. The combination with a hopper having an outlet and a cut-off normally closing the outlet, said hopper constituting means for receiving one end of a container, of a slide movably mounted relative to the hopper and having a container receiving opening, means carried by the slide for detachably supporting the container, said slide being movable to position to bring a container into register with the hopper, and means for closing the container and for expelling its contents into the hopper.

3. The combination with a hopper having an outlet and a cut-off normally closing the outlet, said hopper constituting means for receiving one end of: a container, of a slide movably mounted relative to the hopper and having a container receiving opening, means carried by the slide for detachably support:- ing the container, said slide being movable to position to bring a container into register with the hopper, means for closing the container and for expelling its contents into the hopper, and cooperating fixed and movable 1 ,51'7,300 all:

means for indicating amounts expelled from the hopper by the actuation of the plunger when the cut-off plate is opened.

4. The combination with a container receiving hopper having an outlet and a cutoil' plate normally closing the outlet, of a container receiving slide, means thereon for supporting a container, said slide being shiftable to position a container above and permit its insertion into the hopper, a plunger, and means for actuating the plunger to direct it into the container and close the container at one end.

5. The combination With a container receiving hopper having an outlet and a cutoff plate normally closing the outlet, of a container receiving slide, means thereon for supporting a container, said slide being shiftable to position a container above and permit its insertion into the hopper, a plunger, means for actuating the plunger to direct it into the container and close the container at one end, a stationary gage strip, and means movable with the plunger and cooperating With said strip to indicate the amount of material expelled from the container and hopper during each movement of the plunger.

6. The combination with a base and a closure therefor, of a container receiving hopper supported in the base and having an outlet, a. cut-off plate normally closing the outlet, slidable means for supporting a container and bringing it into position in line with the hopper, said means being mounted on the base, means for supporting a container above the base, said means being shifta'ble to release the container for insertion into the hopper, and a plunger movable into the container for expelling its contents.

7. The combination with a base, acontainer receiving hopper supported therein having an outlet, and a cut-oil for the outlet, means slidable on the base for conveying a container to position above the hopper upon insertion into the hopper, a teed gear mounted for rotation above the slide, a plunger, a threaded stem thereon engaging the feed gear, means for actuating the gear to direct the plunger into the container to expel its contents into the hopper, and cooperating fixed and movable measuring means upon the base and stem respectively. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN W. MoCAULEY lVitnesses Lnooo LLoYD. R. P. ANDREWS. 

